Archive
Morgan County Corrections Officer Nabbed in Drug Sting www.privateofficer.com
DECATUR, AL March 26 2011 – A Morgan County Corrections Officer was arrested in a drug sting Thursday.
22-year-old Marquez Laroy Goodwin of Trinity was arrested for unlawful distribution of a controlled substance after drug agents conducted an undercover investigation.
The Morgan County Sheriff’s Department said agents bought marijuana from Goodwin and another man, Andrew Stephen Collier, several times during the month.
Tuesday, agents conducted a controlled buy from the suspects. After the buy, agents stopped Goodwin and found a handgun and marked money from the sting.
Investigators then served an outstanding arrest warrant for narcotics on Collier at the Stay Lodge. They also found marijuana and a set of digital scales in the room.
Goodwin’s bond was set at $1,000,000 because of the presence of the handgun and the fact that Goodwin is a corrections officer.
“I believe that most of the corrections officers are honest, hard working officers, but this type of behavior will not be tolerated,” said Sheriff Ana Franklin. “This investigation is ongoing and will continue until we are satisfied that we have all the parties involved.”
Franklin said agents received information that other corrections officers are involved in distributing drugs.
Collier was charged with two counts of possession of marijuana and one count of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance. His bond was set at $7,500.
Source:WAFF
Man facing DUI charges brings beer to court www.privateofficer.com
Sullivan County NY March 26 2011 A New York man is being held in jail after showing up an hour and a half late for a court hearing on a felony DWI charge — he was also drunk and carrying an open can of Busch beer, authorities say.
Keith Gruber, 49, is in Sullivan County Jail without bail. He was allegedly carrying four more beer cans in a bag when he went through the courthouse security check on Monday.
The Middletown Times Herald-Record reported that Gruber, from Swan Lake, appeared before Sullivan County Judge Frank LaBuda, who asked him if he enjoyed his “liquid lunch.”
Gruber said he did, then said he was sorry. LaBuda sent him to jail with no bail.
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..”It was obvious that he was intoxicated,” LaBuda said according to the Herald-Record.
Gruber, who has prior DWI convictions, was arrested on Dec. 27 in the town of Liberty and had been out on $30,000 cash bail before this week’s unfortunate court appearance.
Source:NBC
Casino mugger escapes from security www.privateofficer.com
The attack happened in the early morning hours on March 19 state police said. The woman was leaving the casino around 2:30 a.m. and walking to her car when the suspect came up behind her and tried to grab her purse.
Police said the woman wouldn’t let go of her purse and her attacker pushed her to the ground and started hitting her in the head.
A nearby casino employee heard her screaming and rushed to her help. Police said by the time the employee arrived the woman’s attacker had gotten a hold of the purse and ran off.
A casino security guard heard the report of the attack and went to the area the suspect was last seen.
Police said the security guard located and confronted the woman’s attacker, but he was able to escape the security guard. State Police said they were called in to search the area for the woman’s attacker, but they were unable to locate him.
The woman had to be taken to the hospital because of her injuries.
A sketch of the woman’s attacker is posted with this story. If you have any information about his identity or know where he is, State Police ask you call them at 570-243-0006.
UCONN student ran over-killed by shuttle bus www.privateofficer.com
Storrs CT March 26 2011
A University of Connecticut shuttle bus ran over and killed a student from Massachusetts Tuesday night, FoxCT.com reported.
UConn police say the bus struck the student around 8:10 p.m. at an intersection on the campus in Storrs, 25 miles east of Hartford.
A witness called campus police, who arrive with campus firefighters and gave first aid to the student, who was unresponsive. Paramedics were called due to the severity of the students injuries, but couldn’t save him. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
UConn police have identified the student as 20-year-old David N. Plamondon. They say he was from Westminster, Mass., and was a UConn student living off campus.
The police have been interviewing people who saw the accident. They say no charges have been filed.
UConn police say a medical examiner will determine the cause of death.
Source:FOXNEWS
San Antonio school system disbands school police force www.privateofficer.com
San Antonio TX March 26 2011 A local school district handed out pink slips to its campus police department.
The Schertz Cibolo Universal City Independent School District voted unanimously Tuesday night to axe its campus police department.
The district says it’s looking for ways to trim at least $14 million in the next two years without showing teachers the door and without having any last minute layoffs next summer.
The board is passing security duties on to local jurisdictions. It will employ area police officers instead.
The board says the officers will have immediate acesss to school administrators via walkie talkies.
Man dies after being struck by armored truck www.privateofficer.com
Paul Raley, 51, of Plymouth died Wednesday night at Botsford Hospital in Farmington Hills, according to the Oakland County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Raley ran into the path of an eastbound semi tractor-trailer at 8:40 a.m., which swerved and missed him. But he then ran in front of the other vehicle, according to police.
The accident closed the eastbound lanes of I-96 during much of Wednesday’s morning commute.
Source:Detroit Free Press
Reno man jumps into river to avoid casino security www.privateofficer.com
Reno NV March 26 2011 Area police are looking for a man after he jumped into the Truckee River to avoid questioning.
Lesman Sanchez was last seen jumping into the Truckee River by Grand Sierra Resort security officers around 3:30 a.m., Tues., when they attempted to confront him over ‘suspicious activity.’
It is unknown at this time if Sanchez made it out of the river.Therefore, Reno Fire Department has initiated a search of the river with their “wet team” in an effort to locate the missing man.
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Sanchez was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, black beanie cap, white t-shirt with a picture of female on the back, blue jeans and black shoes with white lettering. He has numerous tattoos and piercings.
If you have any information on Lesmen Sanchez’s whereabouts, please contact the Reno Police Department 334-2115 or 321-8372.
Pa. police charge man with operating security business without license www.privateofficer.com
Domenic Gallelli, 37, turned himself in to members of the Private Detective Unit at the state police barracks.
Gallelli runs Prodigal Private Security, which is based in Philadelphia and licensed in Pennsylvania. He applied for a New Jersey license in 2010, but was denied for not meeting the minimum years of experience, according to state police. Nevertheless, he allegedly supplied security services to clients in New Jersey — including Sahara Sam’s Oasis, an indoor waterpark in Berlin Township, state police Acting Lt. Stephen Jones said.
Gallelli was released pending his court appearance. Operating an unlicenced security agency (N.J.S.A. 45:19A-3) is a fourth degree charge.
On duty Carbondale police officer commits suicide www.privateofficer.com
CARBONDALE, Colorado March 26 2011 — A Carbondale police officer who died of what law enforcement officials confirmed was a self-inflicted gunshot wound early Tuesday morning was on duty at the time, Garfield County Sheriff Lou Vallario said.
Vallario said on Wednesday that Nino Santiago, Sr. was parked in a Carbondale Police Department patrol car during his patrol shift around 1 a.m. Tuesday.
Santiago’s death has been ruled a suicide, Vallario said.
Law enforcement authorities became aware that something was wrong, he said, when a relative of Santiago’s reported that he had sent a text message about 12:30 a.m. that night, saying “Tell everybody I love them.”
Carbondale police and Garfield County Sheriff’s deputies immediately began searching the community for Santiago. A sheriff’s deputy found Santiago in the parking lot on Snowmass Drive that is shared by Crystal River Elementary School and the Church at Carbondale.
The sheriff’s office took over the investigation at the request of Carbondale Police Chief Gene Schilling, since the department was directly affected. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation assisted.
Because the shooting was determined to be a suicide, Vallario said the sheriff’s investigation into the matter has been closed.
Since the investigation scene was so close to the school, classes were canceled for the day Tuesday. The parking lot where the shooting occurred is owned by the church, but the school has a use agreement for teachers and staff to park there on school days.
Vallario said a private trauma debriefing was held Wednesday evening for Carbondale police department staff and sheriff’s deputies to discuss the experience.
Community members have also organized a “Light Up Carbondale for Nino” candlelight vigil for 7:15 p.m. Friday in Sopris Park. Residents are asked to bring a candle to the park to remember Santiago.
“He’s one of ours, and we wanted to support the community with this loss,” said local nurse and longtime Carbondale resident Barb Bush.
Santiago had been employed with the town’s police force since May of 2008. His son, “Junior” Santiago, also joined the force that same year and still works as a patrol officer.
Born in upstate New York and raised in Puerto Rico, Santiago senior was a U.S. Marine veteran, having served in Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He also had served in the Army National Guard and Air Force National Guard while embarking on his law enforcement career.
Official memorial service information is still pending.
Source:Post Independent
Arizona jail officer commits suicide www.privateofficer.com
Timothy R. Bitsui, 22, who had worked at the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office for more than two years, was found at about 6 a.m. by hospital staff, said Commander Rex Gilliland of the sheriff’s office.
A series of events in the days prior to Bitsui’s death remain under investigation, Gilliland added.
According to Flagstaff police reports, officers were called to Bitsui’s home on the 1000 block of North Fourth Street Saturday afternoon on a report of a home invasion. Responding officers found Bitsui on the floor of his home. He had been bound at the feet with duct tape, his hands cuffed and a plastic bag secured and wrapped around his head.
Bitsui told responding officers that three men with their faces covered with bandannas rushed into his home and assaulted him.
Gilliland said that Bitsui had minor cuts and abrasions on his face and arms. He also said that there was a noticeable amount of blood in the home.
Sgt. James Jackson of the police department said that the incident is under investigation.
WEAPON DISCHARGED
Gilliland said that Bitsui was taken to Flagstaff Medical Center for treatment Saturday night and was released to his family. While Bitsui’s apartment was being processed as a crime scene, Bitsui went to stay with family.
After the crime scene was cleared, Bitsui returned home and sent family members outside, Gilliland said. A concerned family member, who heard what sounded like bullets being loaded into a weapon, went into the home and found Bitsui making statements about wanting to kill himself and trying to shoot himself with a rifle, Gilliland said. The family member grabbed the barrel of the rifle, and Bitsui pulled the trigger, discharging the weapon.
Police were called to the scene and Bitsui was arrested on felony counts of disorderly conduct with a dangerous weapon and endangerment. He was taken to the hospital for evaluation, then booked into the county jail and put on suicide watch.
On Monday, Bitsui was transferred to The Guidance Center for an emergency mental health evaluation, Gilliland said. On Tuesday morning, Bitsui was found dead by hospital staff in his room. He had attempted to secure the door to delay entry and had hanged himself with articles of his clothing.
PATIENT RISKS ASSESSED
Linda Cowan, CEO of TGC, said she could neither confirm nor deny Bitsui was a patient, citing federal laws that protect patient privacy. She also could not confirm whether a suicide took place on the PAC Unit.
She did say, not referring to Bitsui, that in her 15 years at TGC a suicide has not happened.
It is the policy of TGC to assess all patients who are brought to the PAC Unit to determine risk level, Cowan said. The risk level is determined by patient verbalizations, behavior and past history.
Staffing for the patient is then determined based upon that risk. The staffing level varies from one-on-one care with 24-hour supervision to routine care with periodic supervision, Cowan added.
All staff members on the PAC Unit are trained in the unit’s protocols, Cowan said, which include crisis intervention, de-escalation and restraint. The unit staffing levels depend on the number of patients admitted and acuity of condition. A minimum of two nurses, two technicians and a doctor — either on the premises or on 24-hour call — staff the unit.
Were a suicide to occur, Cowan said the incident would be reported to the state and the Joint Commission on Health Care Accreditation. The reporting is a requirement under standards for licensure.
TGC also conducts a “root-cause analysis,” Cowan said, to determine if changes or improvements to care are needed.
“Any opportunity to find the root cause,” Cowan added.
NO DISCIPLINARY PROBLEMS
Sheriff Bill Pribil said that all detention officers and deputies undergo “emotional survival” training at the sheriff’s office. The trainings are conducted several times a year.
He added that Bitsui was well-liked at the sheriff’s office and had no disciplinary problems on his record.
Bitsui, born in Tuba City, was a 2006 graduate of Flagstaff High School. He was an active reservist for the U.S. Army National Guard and was training to become a police officer.
The case remains under investigation by the police department.
Source:AZdailysun
Pa. police fight each other over jumping calls www.privateofficer.com
DARBY, Pa. March 26 2011- Bad blood spills over between cops in neighboring Delaware County towns, who are caught on camera in a cop-on-cop confrontation.
Fox 29 has new video tonight of a confrontation between police officers in Darby and Colwyn boroughs.
The county District Attorney is looking into the case, after a Colwyn officer accused Darby’s police chief of assaulting him.
Last Friday afternoon a woman flagged down a police officer. She said a man had punched her friend a block away, knocking her to the ground. The police officer from Colwyn arrested the man as more officers arrived.
The first officer on scene had crossed the border from Colwyn into Darby, which is another jurisdiction. Minutes later, Darby’s police chief showed up. The chief began arguing with the Colwyn officer, who was sitting in his patrol car behind the wheel.
On the video, you can hear other Darby officers trying to calm the chief down. But the argument escalates.
The chief shouts, “get out of Darby,” as the Colwyn officer gets out of his patrol car and then has to be restrained.
All the while, the victim is still laying on the ground as emergency crews work on her.
There’s a pretty long history of bad blood between these two towns.
Source:Fox News
Trio charged in felony shoplifting www.privateofficer.com
Detectives were in the mall parking lot on March 16 at 3:09 p.m. investigating another case when they saw a man acting suspiciously.
A man identified as Dwayne Randolph, was seen standing beside a car, looking all around, as he stood next to a green Toyota Camry, then went in the car to grab something and then ran into the mall, Lawn said.
The detectives stuck around and watched the car.
“An hour later a female, identified as Monique Hinton, exited the mall carrying a shopping bag, open the trunk of the car and placed the bag in the trunk,” Lawn said. “Then Randolph and another man exited the mall, looked around, opened the trunk and revealed clothes he was hiding under his jacket.”
When the three tried to drive out of the parking lot, the detectives pulled them over, Lawn said.
“They searched the vehicle and discovered $933.29 worth of stolen merchandise, and they also discovered two tools used to remove the security tags from retail clothe,” Lawn said.
The three were taking the tools into the mall and removing tags, Lawn said. They did so items came from various stores in the mall.
All three were arrested. Dwayne R. Randolph, 42, of 33 Msgr. Reynolds Way in Boston, faces charges of receiving stolen property worth more than $250 and possession of burglarious instruments. Monique C. Hinton, 24, of 90 Wrentham St. Apt. 4 in Dorchester, faces charges of receiving stolen property worth more than $250 and driving with a revoked license.
Richard E. Archie, 50, of 152 Spencer St. Apt. 1 in Dorchester, faces charges of receiving stolen property worth more than $250, and he had two arrest warrants – one for larceny of items worth more than $250 from Hingham District Court and one for possession with intent to distribute a Class B substance from Suffolk Superior Court.
Family sues Ritz Carlton hotel after child is molested www.privateofficer.com
The hotel’s owner, Maritz, Wolff & Company, is not commenting. The attorney for suspect Daniel Hughes from Pennsylvania has not returned calls for comment.
Hughes’ his employer, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, will only say he’s no longer employed by them, and that the alleged incident did not happen on company time, also saying this is not the hotel they put him up in. They said he had already checked out of that hotel.
Daniel Hughes is charged with three counts of child molestation and one count of sodomy. According to prosecutors, Hughes returned to the Ritz Carlton drunk on the morning of March 6. He told the clerk he did not have his room key, gave the wrong number to his room, and the clerk gave him a duplicate key without verifying the room number.
One of the complaints in the lawsuit against the Ritz-Carlton said, “the desk clerk…carelessly and negligently gave a room key to Hughes without demanding and verifying his identity and insuring that he was a person properly entitled to receive a key for room he requested…and did not have a security person accompany Hughes to the room to verify.”
Police say he then went to the room where there were three children, got in bed with the nine-year-old and molested her.
The lawsuit against the four defendants was filed Tuesday in St. Louis County Circuit Court.
The victim in the case is referred to as Jane Doe. One of the complaints against Hughes for the lawsuit says it’s “…because of Hughes’ evil motives and reckless indifference to the rights of Jane Doe.”
The attorney for the alleged victim’s family, Maurice Graham, will not comment on the lawsuit, but said, “(the family) is continuing to deal with this tragedy involving the nine-year-old.”
Meanwhile, the Ritz-Carlton released the following statement: “Of course, most importantly we deeply regret that this incident took place, and we have reached out directly to the guests involved to express our concern for them. We are taking steps to underscore the importance of our security procedures at our hotels in light of this incident and are cooperating fully with the authorities on this matter. As litigation is pending, we do not have plans to comment further at this time.”
Source:KSDK
Federal security officer “stored”suspicious packages that WAS a bomb! www.privateofficer.com
Detroit MI March 26 2011 A security officer at the McNamara Federal Building stored a suspicious package that turned out to contain a bomb for three weeks before alerting authorities, said a spokesman for a union that represents guards at the site, who called the incident “a total embarrassment.”
“He apparently set it aside,” said David Wright, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 918, which represents the Federal Protective Service (FPS) employees, who guard the McNamara and other federal buildings around the country.
“It should have been left in place and he should have called in a canine detection unit to see if they could make a determination about it,” he said Tuesday.
The package was eventually placed behind two dumpsters behind the McNamara Building on Michigan Avenue downtown around 10 a.m. Friday. The Detroit Police Department’s bomb squad collected the device from there and moved it to Belle Isle, where it was detonated.
An official with the FBI office in Detroit said Tuesday that the device was sent to FBI headquarters in Quantico, Va., for further testing.
“Our priority is determining exactly what it was and who left it,” said Sandra Berchtold, Detroit FBI special agent.
The contracted security guard has been suspended, said an official with the Washington, D.C., office of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday.
“The FPS will continue to review the circumstances of this incident and take appropriate action with the contract service provider to ensure that proper protocols are followed,” said Chris Ortman, a spokesman for Homeland Security in Washington, D.C.
Wright called the incident “a total embarrassment.”
He added that his union has been pushing to “federalize” contract guards at federal building for several years.
“The intent would be for the guards to be better trained and more accountable,” said Wright.
Source:detnews.com
Three Atlanta security guards arrested for helping in copper thefts www.privateofficer.com
ATLANTA GA March 26 2011 – Three security guards accused of allowing thieves to steal copper from a city building are expected to face a judge Wednesday.
They were supposed to watch over a downtown Atlanta building but instead police say they helped to rob it. The incident was caught on surveillance video at the old Atlanta Newspapers building.
Investigators say the guards allowed thieves into the building. Video shows the men taking apart communications wires and stealing valuable copper before driving off.
Investigators identified three security workers suspected of taking part in the crime. Jonathan Tinker, Rhonda Spencer and Vincent Alexander were charged and taken to the Fulton County Jail.
They each face charges of theft by taking.
Source:Fox News
High school students attack-beat security officer www.privateofficer.com
RAMAPO, N.Y.March 26 2011 — Police say four suburban New York high school students have been arrested following a fight in which a security guard was beaten and knocked to the ground.
The Journal News reports that police arrived at Ramapo High School in Rockland County shortly before 8 a.m. Tuesday and found the guard had been punched and kicked in the head and body.
The students were arraigned on a third-degree assault charge. Three of them were released into the custody of their parents on $100 bail. Police say the fourth student had an outstanding arrest warrant. Her bail was set at $500 each for the warrant and assault charge.
The arrests were the latest in a string of violent brawls at the high school since early February.
Source:The Republican
Woman fights with security guard at pot shop www.privateofficer.com
According to police reports, a security guard at a business at 24600 Raymond Way called deputies at 7:56 p.m. on Tuesday to say he was punched in the face by Felicia Marie Moberly, who according to a witness had been asking for pot at several of the medical marijuana dispensaries in the building.
The security guard told deputies that he approached Moberly and confronted her when she punched him in the face, Sgt Angel Andrade said.
When deputies responded, Moberly spit on a deputy and broke free of his grasp, Andrade said. Another deputy took her to the ground and handcuffed her, he said.
Moberly was arrested on suspicion of assault and battery on the security guard, assault and battery on a police officer and resisting arrest, Andrade said.
Security discovers murder-suicide couple www.privateofficer.com
Kansas City MO March 26 2011 Police today identified those killed in a murder and suicide Wednesday.
Leslie Price, 47, of rural Jackson County, Kan., was found shot dead at a Lenexa construction site in the 8400 block of Lenexa Drive at about 6:30 p.m., Lenexa police said.
Her estranged husband, James Price, 44, of Denison, Kan., was later found dead from a self inflicted gunshot in a construction trailer at 4900 East 87th St., Kansas City police reported.
His body was found after a security guard saw a man in the trailer covered with blood with a rifle in front of him, they reported.
The trailer was at the construction site for an 87th Street improvement project in Kansas City. The city issued a statement saying the body was that of a contractor working at the site. The project was temporarily halted while police investigated.
Source:www.kansascity.com
Security officer shot- killed by neighbor www.privateofficer.com
TEMPLE HILLS, Md. March 26 2011 — A father in Temple Hills was shot to death outside of his home.
Officers found Gregory Lawton Junior shot to death in front his apartment complex on 23rd Parkway around 10 p.m. Thursday.
Friends of the victim say the deadly shooting was the result of a dispute between the victim and one of his neighbors. They tell 9NEWS NOW he worked as a security guard at the Boulevard at Caps Center.
He leaves behind three young children.
San Antonio officers injured while working nightclub security www.privateofficer.com
Both were treated at St. Luke’s Baptist Hospital and released; neither was believed to have been seriously hurt in the incidents at Graham Central Station in the 4900 block of Fredericksburg Road, police said.
Investigators said fights broke out close to closing time at the club, which advertises itself as the place “where San Antonio comes to play” and features 75-cent late-night drink specials and wet T-shirt competitions.
One officer, Alice Ramos, 43, sustained cuts and bruises when she was punched in the face and knocked down. She then used her baton on the man who punched her, according to a report of the incident.
The other officer, Richard Bullock, 35, needed stitches to the face after two men, believed to be brothers, hit him with their fists and also struck him on the head with a beer bottle after one of them tried to leave the premises with beer, police said.
Four men were arrested and charged with aggravated assault on a public servant and resisting arrest; one of the men also had a pending arrest warrant, police said. They were not immediately identified.
Source:www.mysanantonio.com
